OFF is Denmark’s most courageous and most adventurous short film festival. We always offer a varied and experimenting film programme garnered with thought-provoking off-screen experiences, debates, workshops, concerts and much more.

Every year in August, film enthusiasts from all over the world have the opportunity of catching an exceptional selection of Danish and international short films in Odense that would otherwise never reach the big screen.

Awards & Prizes

Main Competition:

The H.C. Andersen Award. The award goes to the best film in the Main Competition. The winner will receive an OFF diploma and €4.700. This award is Oscar qualifying.

The Storyteller Award
The award goes to the film with the most powerful storyteller. The prize consists of an OFF diploma and €2000.

The Artist Award
The award goes to the film with the strongest artistic expression. The prize consists of an OFF diploma and €2000.

Danish Competition:

Best Danish Short Film
The award goes to the best Danish short film in competition. The winner will receive an OFF diploma, and €3300. This award is qualifying.

The Talent Award
The award goes to the Danish short film displaying singular vision and promise. The prize consists of an OFF diploma and €2000.

All films submitted in this category is automatically considered by the Danish Film Academy for the Robert Award; Best Short Fiction.

Animation Competition:

Børge Ring Award
The Børge Ring Award goes to the best animated film in the competition, both Danish as well as International films are eligible to receive the award. The prize is an OFF diploma and €2000. This award is Oscar qualifying.

Animation Talent Award
The Danish Animation Society will be awarding the Talent Award to the maker of an extraordinary short film in the animation genre. Only Danish animators can be considered for this award and the prize can be given to both new and established talents. The winner will receive an OFF diploma and €1350.

Documentary Competition:

Best Documentary Short
Best Documentary Short award goes to the best documentary film in the competition, both Danish as well as International films are eligible to receive the award. The prize is an OFF diploma and €2000.

The Soapbox Award
The award goes to the film that best uses the platform it is given to make a meaningful impact on society. The winner will receive an OFF diploma and €1350.

Youth Jury Competition:

The Youth Jury Award
The award is given to the best Youth film in competition. The prize is an OFF diploma and €2000.

Audience Competition:

TV 2/Fyn Audience Award
The recipient of the Audience Award will receive an OFF diploma and a statuette sponsored by TV 2/FYN.

Rules & Terms

1. Submission deadline is 1 April 2018
2. Running time may not exceed 30.00 minutes (24 frames per second).
3. Films must have been comepleted in 2017 or 2018.
4. Films submitted for previous editions of the festival will not be accepted.
5. We only accept online digital submissions, and films for pre-screening must be uploaded via Filmfreeway.
6. ALL films with dialogue must have hardcoded English subtitles. If the language/dialogue of the film is Danish or English we do accept a pre-screening version of the film without subtitles. However if the film is selected for competition we do require English subtitles, even if the spoken language is English.
7. Films screened or awarded at other international film festivals can also enter.
8. Promotional films will not be accepted (e.g. educational, industrial, advertising, tourist films etc.)
9. The participants must ensure that they have the right to participate in OFF concerning third parties connected with the production of the participating film.

SUBMISSION PROCEDURE
Submit your film via Filmfreeway.com. You can choose to upload a low quality screening copy of your film but a high quality version will be required for cinema screening if your film is selected for the festival. Preferably HD 720p or above.

Submission Fees

Earlybird deadline 15. January to 19. February: 10 $.
Regular deadline 20. February to 19. March: 15 $.
Late deadline 20. March to 1. April: 22 $
Please note that there are no refunds.

We do NOT offer waivers.

SELECTION
The organizers will appoint a selection committee that will be in charge of the final selection for the competition. The organizers may also authorize persons whom they consider competent to pre-select films for the selection committee or directly to the competition.
The final selection screenings will take place in April 2018. Entrants will be notified of the selection results no later than May 2018.

IF YOUR FILM IS SELECTED
If your film is selected a final version of your film must be uploaded to our servers no later than June 2018. You will receive an e-mail specifying the technical requirements for cinema screening and a link for upload.

FESTIVAL SCREENINGS
1. All screenings at OFF will be distributed directly from a central secure server to the various cinema platforms.
2. The Festival reserves the right to refuse or cancel the screening of any film if advised by authorized technicians that the film be not of sufficient quality to ensure satisfactory public screening.

AGREEMENT
I agree to a short excerpt (max. 3 minutes) of my film being included in a radio, TV or video programme presenting Odense International Film Festival. I consent to the submission of my film for consideration of any awards that may be made in the context of OFF. I certify that all film and music rights and clearances have been obtained (in accordance with copyright laws). I certify that I will not withdraw my film from OFF after selection by the OFF selection committee.
If my film wins a prize at OFF18, I give permission to screen my film in a Best of OFF18-tour that will take place in selected cities in Denmark after the festival and will showcase the winning films from OFF18.

JURIES AND PRIZES
The organizers will nominate an international jury, a national jury and an animation jury, all consisting of three members, as well as a youth jury.
The juries will award the following prizes to films in the festival’s four competition programmes:

Andrias Høgenni

John Manceau

Wonderful Staff! Exciting programmation! talented and unpretentious guests who contribute to the great and relaxed atmosphere that spread through all the event... and all this take place at the end of the summer in Danmark, in the lively and charming city of Odense . Yes! OFF is the ultimate festival experience!!!

This category includes all Danish produced animation films of any genre or style.
The length of the films must not exceed 30 minutes including credits.
All Danish animation films are eligible to selection for the Main Competition, the Danish Competition and the Animation Competition.

This category includes all Internationally produced animation films of any genre or style.
The length of the films must not exceed 30 minutes including credits.
All international animation films are eligible to selection for the Main Competition as well as the Animation Competition.

This category includes all Danish produced films of any genre or style except animation. The length of the films must not exceed 30 minutes including credits.
All Danish films are eligible to selection for the Main Competition as well as the Danish Competition.